|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Thu Feb 03, 2011 10:45 am
 Though Bekeli had taken to walking about with an awkward swagger in his step, he still had the stinking suspicion that Bahari was going to try and find another male to have pups with. He was still following her just to make sure, and he did his best to hide when he thought he might be spotted. In days past he'd become rather intimately acquainted with a mealy rancid mudhole, a thorny bush, seven scorpions, a knee-deep pile of elephant dung (he knew for a fact it was knee-deep), two crocodiles and swarm of horseflies. She was worth it, though. His queen was worth it. And so, today, he would give this gift to her, one he'd spent days on. It was a crown haphazardly stuck together with mud and vines -- at least he thought it was mud, but he swore that in the midday heat it reeked of poo -- and a beautifully placed skull as the crowning glory. He couldn't wait to show it to her.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Feb 03, 2011 10:53 am
 After her initial conversations with Bekeli about pup-making, Bahari hadn't thought much about it. It had been days since she'd thought about it at all. There were plenty of distractions, such as marauding lionesses, and Bahari rather enjoyed being distracted. She did want pups, but Bekeli was acting even more Bekeli-ish than usually. And his bath did not seem to have had much effect. His smell had tripled, quadrupled. What was he doing? Something foolish, probably. Something she didn't want to know about, certainly. She would have to tell him to take a bath again. And just as she was thinking of her reeking consort, Bahari caught a distinct whiff. She fought back a grimace. It would be so easy to walk on past, but she had to have this talk with him at some point. No babies were going to be made with Bekeli smelling like that. "Bekeli," she called hesitantly. She coughed, not from nervousness but from the smell.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Feb 03, 2011 11:01 am
Usually Bekeli didn't notice his own smell. Even today he didn't realize that he smelled like a dead zebra dipped in the stomach juices of a vulture that had gotten hold of a rotten fish. Eu de parfum a la Bekeli, thanks in part to the nasty mudhole and elephant poo. He hadn't had time to take a bath since then, and really the smell had the added effect of repelling his horrible children.
Today was different, though.
Today even HE could smell something awful. There was something terribly off about the 'crown' he carried towards Bahari. It was really starting to make his eyes water, but he would follow through with it. Moving closer to Bahari, he delicately set the foul crown at her feet before backing away with a small whine. Man, that thing stunk.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Feb 03, 2011 11:17 am
The smell, unfortunately, grew stronger as Bekeli drew closer. Much stronger. Bahari squinted at him, narrowing her eyes. The fumes almost seemed to sting her eyeballs. Bahari wanted to back away from the wretched hyena, but she forced herself to stand her ground. If she ran away from Bekeli, he would only feel sorry for himself and somehow make himself even smellier.
Her stomach rolled as he set the foul heap of bones and filth at her feet. Bahari did back away then, staring down at the thing. And Bekeli had carried it in his mouth ...?
"What," she said slowly, in stunned horror, "is that?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Feb 03, 2011 11:22 am
Puzzled, Bekeli sat down in a billow of dust and smacked his lips together. It actually hadn't tasted half-bad, but he couldn't eat the crown he'd painstakingly created for his Queen. His stomach grumbled as he eyed the makeshift gift. He licked his jaws before he spoke, dragging his eyes away from the foul-smelling manna that he'd placed at the feet of Bahari. No, no. He couldn't snatch it back up and devour the rank pile of bone and muck. Willpower, Bekeli. Be strong.
"It's a present," he whined, peering at her with dark, pleading eyes. "I made it for you, my beautiful Queen. A crown to place upon your head, one to frame your flawless face."
He'd practiced those words for like a week. Yes, score one for Bekeli. Perfectly executed.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Feb 03, 2011 11:32 am
A present. Wonderful.
Bekeli was very sweet to make her a present, and his speech was very lovely (and straight from the bottom of his dirty little heart, she was sure) but the item itself was beyond disgusting.
Bahari stared at it woefully and started to laugh. Started. She let out a despairing "Haaaa...." that trailed off into an awkward silence as she remained staring at the horrible thing. Did Bekeli actually expect her to put this thing on her head? On her FACE?
"Is it made of dung, Bekeli?" Bahari inquired, her tone of voice as even and pleasant as she could make it.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Feb 03, 2011 11:44 am
He didn't know how to answer that. He wasn't sure what it was made of, but maybe he could figure out a way to work this situation so that they both won. Yes, that's what he'd do. Man, he was so smart. That's probably why Bahari wanted more pups with him.
"It is, my Queen. I tried using mud, but that didn't hold the bones together very well." He felt bad for lying, but he figured she wouldn't want to put a poo-crown on her head and then he'd be free to take it away and eat it for lunch. A sorry expression drifted over his face as he continued, "Does it not please my Queen? I will make you a new one if that is what you desire. One out of..." Out of... out of what? He smacked his lips together again, fighting against the drool that pooled on his tongue.
"One of flowers?" Bekeli squeaked, inching closer towards the crown. "I apologize for this crown, my Queen, I will remove it from your eyes." And then he'd eat it. All of it.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Feb 03, 2011 12:11 pm
Bahari felt her stomach doing another slow roll. And another. It was spinning pretty well now, actually, with a horrible thud every time it came around. If Bahari had ever heard of dryers, she would have compared it to a dryer full of wet sneakers.
A crown of flowers sounded a bit better but she was too distracted by Bekeli's slavering to really listen to him. Why ... why did he look so eager? So eager ... to eat ... the thing ...
Another roll.
"What would you stick the flowers together with?" Bahari asked faintly. No. She would not allow herself to think of Bekeli eating that thing. She would not. Her own mouth began to water, in preparation for vomiting instead of with appetite. She tried to swallow it, making an unpleasant hurking noise.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Feb 03, 2011 1:10 pm
His mouth was already around the crown and a look of pure bliss danced across his face for a moment. Just a moment. He then realized he was still in front of his Queen, and talking around the crown wouldn't be easy but he really wasn't ready to put it back down on the ground.
"Hmphhmhphhh mphrh fmuuchg," he explained intently, bowing his head before he backed away a few feet. Personally he didn't think it mattered how he made the flower crown work out so long as it didn't reek of poo.
Unable to wait another minute Bekeli turned tail and darted away.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Feb 04, 2011 4:51 am
Bekeli was taking the crown away, which was a relief, but it also meant that Bahari had to stare at him with that thing in his mouth. Of course, he had carried it in his mouth in the first place, but after getting a really good look at (and whiff of) the thing she was even more nauseated by it. Even Manyara, the slave, wouldn't have picked such a thing up willingly, and she was as dumb as a rock.
With Bekeli fleeing the smell began to dissipate, but some of the crown had leaked onto the ground where Bekeli had placed it. She felt faint from smelling the thing, but she couldn't hang around here any longer. Just like Bekeli, Bahari turned and ran, leaving the cursed ground behind. Even so it felt like the smell was clinging to her, soaking into her fur... ugh. She would have to wash herself,and fast.
Hopefully Bekeli wouldn't make good on his promises of bringing her a flower crown.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
